Springtime in Alberta
 

I'm sick of the cold and winter. It usually doesn't bother me much, but this year I hates it, I tell ya!!:angry3:

There was a seed catalog in the mail today. I've got the urge to start some vegies and flowers. I could just get the portable drill and plant frozen vegs outside but it wouldn't warm my cockles, and no one wants his cockles frozen.:scared0018:

I know some of you are expert class gardeners. One guy from Medicine Hat grows more peppers than two counties in Arizona.

Who has what started? Am I too late? should I just wait and buy started plants?

I don't have a greenhouse so I usually have to wait until middle of march to start my plants. Some years you end up with big tomato plants by transplant time but I plant in big enough pots where I don't have to worry too much.

Oh I soooo agree
Can hardly wait for spring and green grass

I’m calving my heifers right now... it’s going well but the work involved is huge... looking forward to even single digit minus highs!!!!


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Also, if ordering from a seed bank that sells in bulk be careful with ordering too much. Seeds don't weight very much.......On the plus side I have not had to buy carrot seeds for 10 years and I'm pretty sure I'll pass the bag onto the kids when I'm gone.

This is the year that I finally get to successfully grow wild strawberries (fingers crossed) :)

Start my peppers March 6th every year. Tomatoes
March 25 th.

How long are seeds viable. I have some that "What's her name" left here that may be a couple years old. Are there advantages to using potting soil or other specialty blends


PA of 6. it is indeed telling when -9 looks really good.

Just plant 'em! More about the feeding, watering, singing to them than the actual Produce.

I thought this was a thread about Ian Tyson.lol

Winter is the season I enjoy a lot for some reason, even though I only go snow boarding once a winter.... but this winter sucks so much! I want to be shed hunting and working on my property so bad. I’m hoping March brings a lot warmer weather.

You may be onto something there. Doing all that stuff may make a guy thirsty.:)

Storage is the biggest thing for seeds. Humidity and heat will shorten shelf life. Like I said I'm using 10 year old carrot seed with out issue but its hard to tell, I seed them so thick I wouldn't know if half didn't germinate.

If you have lots and want to check, take 10 seeds and put them in a wet paper towel. Keep it in a warm place and damp. Check it in a week and see how many sprout.

I like using potting soil because it generally has less weed seeds in it than anything I dig around here. I haven't ever tried starting in any other type of medium or mix so can't help you there.

It's early to start anything. We started tomatoes last year by this time and they were too leggy even under t5ho lights due to crowding. We have enough grow lights for 20 or so trays and we start planting next week.

Moisten the seeds, put them in a zip lock bag and place them somewhere warm (warm and dark is better)... plant the ones that sprout. Viability is hard to guess... I have had seeds that I have had in the cold room for 5 to 10 years that were still viable and I have had seed that I had just bought that had a less than 50% germination rate.

I have always thought that -9 was a nice winter day... then I moved to Calgary. I then found out that -9 was "OMG... it is soooo freakin' cold...." Go figure :)

ARG

Started some petunias a couple weeks ago for some mothers day baskets, will start my peppers and tomatoes at the end of March

Should've seen it in your eyes... oh this isn't an Ian Tyson thread? My bad :bad_boys_20:

And the mercury's fallin'.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kb1tcVxi34Y

Thanks guys.

Ian sure nails it.:)


What kind of success would a guy have without artificial lights if planted where there's lots of natural light and indoor temp of 20C ?

Can't comment on seedlings, but this fall I brought in a couple tomatoe plants before the frost. Still going strong and producing fruit to this day!

Not even that much natural light, but I'm thinking its the LED lightbulbs that are keeping it going

Lol good call

spring
 

Guys, this is spring weather in Canada. Back in the day when we use to walk 5 miles to school both ways uphill, we had real winter weather. In 1968 we did not get above -30oC for 21 days, this weather we are having now is childs play.

Wanna know a cool trick for getting the ° symbol? Hold zero on smart phones and the degree symbol will show up. On keyboards for a computer I think you use the “Alt” key and 0.

Symbol/smart phone, what the hell is that, I have flip phone payed $42 3-4 years ago and $30/month, works like a dam, can phone anytime I want even from trapline cabin.

I’ve started my begonia tubers. not sure what else I’m doing this year.Mostly flowers I’m sure. I find I only need 3-4 tomato plant so those can wait.

° mind blown...

In windows accessories, open character map.
character map shows various alt commands for special characters in different fonts.
character map mainly shows unicode but also indicates keystroke alt combinations for some of the special characters.

oh, and enough winter all ready, I want to ride my motorcycle :)